SYMPOSIUM vLanguages

Is it feasible to teach language through ELT games in social Virtual Worlds? What parameters and mechanics of game design are taken into account when creating language games in-world? During this presentation, we look at examples and simple ways of ensuring game flow by integrating language pedagogy with virtual world technologies, as an integral part of teaching at all levels of language education. Meeting point: EduNationhttp://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduNation/111/156/23

Helena Galani [ErlinaAzure]holds an RSA Diploma, M.A. in ELT (Applied Linguistics), and certification in the skills of Teacher Training and advanced ICT skills. As qualified adult educator, Helena has been blending and flipping her classes in Virtual Worlds. She has also taught EFL and trained teachers for INDIRE on edMondo. As moderator during EVO ViLLAGE, Helena presented on the usefulness of designing games and Interactive Scenarios in ELT through Virtual Environment. For longer than 27 years, she has been implementing CALL into her teaching in the fields of TEFL, with EFL schools and Adult Education Centre in Greece, as private tutor, with formal assessment bodies, or on UK University EAP courses. As EduNation resident and CAMELOT Award winner in 2015, Helena supports the educational value of VWs environments through learner and teacher machinima. At conventions, she highlights different aspects on the value of 3D VWs and machinima in language teaching.

The Business Talking 5 European Credit course from Linnaeus University, run in Second Life, is in its 21st cycle, having been run every semester since Spring 2008. The students are almost all newbies and have joined the course 'just' to improve their spoken English and presentation technique. The fact that the course runs entirely in Second Life often comes as something of a shock for them. The presentation looks back at how the students have coped with a virtual environment over the years and looks forward to the future of virtual environments in the university world, especially for courses and programmes that have a global intake (from Tasmania to the Arctic Circle).

David Richardson [David Rinkitink]is a teacher of English at Linnaeus University, Sweden. He has been teaching EFL since 1980 in a number of countries, including Sweden, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.